Suncoast: Man Arrested While Attempting to Meet Child for Sex
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
CCSO
A 20-year-old man was intercepted by detectives while attempting to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.
On March 27th, 2026, detectives with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit arrested Kevin Lopez Perez (8/20/2005), of Bradenton, after learning that he came to Charlotte County and had a sexual encounter with a juvenile.
Through investigation, detectives found that Perez came to the 2500 block of Luther Road in Punta Gorda to meet a 13-year-old girl with whom he’d been communicating. There was a sexual encounter between Perez and the child victim in December 2025, which was eventually discovered by the victim’s family.
On the evening of March 26, 2026, Perez came back to the child victim’s residence seeking another encounter but was intercepted by the victim’s family. The family contacted the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, who located Perez in his vehicle near the victim’s home and took him into custody.
While interviewing Perez, he admitted to detectives that he had sexual intercourse with the victim.
“Few things in the world upset me as much as someone who does harm to a child. As I have said many times before, I have absolutely no tolerance for this vile crime and no sympathy for these offenders. He is where he belongs now. Thank you to the family for recognizing the situation and calling us to come put a stop to it. I pray for them and for the child victim.” – Sheriff Bill Prummell
Perez was transported to the Charlotte County Jail, where he is charged with Lewd or Lascivious Battery (victim 12 years or older, but less than 16) and Traveling to Meet a Minor After Using a Computer to Lure a Child. Both charges are second-degree felonies.
At the time of this release, Perez is being held without bond.
